The Unwinding Cable Car
by CommanderLexaTrash
Summary: Kinsey Taylor was looking forward to enjoying her sixth year with her boyfriend Cedric Diggory and best mate George Weasley. But unfortunately for her, enjoyment got pushed to the side with the Triwizard Tournament-in addition to healer training, relationship problems, so much schoolwork... Will she go mad or make it through? Follows GOF. OC/CD/GW love triangle.


**Chapter 1: The Quidditch World Cup**

"I've got them!" Amos Diggory yelled, still red-faced from running in the front door. A large, manila envelope flopped in his hand and then fell onto the dining room table, causing it to shake. "Three tickets for the Quidditch World Cup!"

"What!" Cedric exclaimed and reached for the envelope. He peered inside and then removed one, two, three tickets. "How did you get these? It's been sold out for months!"

"An arm and a leg, I'll tell you," Amos said, sitting down next to his son. "Anderson turned up with Spattergroit a few days ago and hasn't gotten better. His wife auctioned the tickets to the next highest bidder, and that was me!"

Cedric's mouth formed a perfect O. He stammered, "I can't… I can't believe we're going."

"Believe it!" Amos said, smiling. "We're meeting some others at a portkey on the other side of the village and traveling to the campsite that way. There's a catch, of course."

"What's the catch?" Kinsey asked, speaking for her awe-struck boyfriend.

"We've got to be up at two in the morning. Out the door at three at the latest. It's a long walk, and we don't want to miss our portkey. Because if we miss it…" Amos snapped his fingers. "That's it."

"I'll do it," Cedric said quickly. "Let's leave now."

"Hold your horses, champ," Kinsey joked, but Cedric looked serious.

"Ireland and Bulgaria. Krum's seeker… This game," he gushed, "I've been dreaming of it since they announced it."

"Clearly."

"You just don't get it," Cedric dismissed his girlfriend's nonchalant reaction.

Of course, Kinsey was excited to go—she would probably go to an elf circus if it meant we had free tickets—but Quidditch always brought out the child in her boyfriend. He could talk for hours about the teams and players, stats and awesome moves. She pretended to listen for the first ten minutes or so, but anything after that meant she would take a mind nap.

"Two in the morning," Annie repeated, surprised. "That's a little early. You all should be getting to bed soon."

People say that, after a certain period of time, married people begin to look like each other. And that was certainly true for Annie and Amos. Amos was a little older, and a little grayer, than most wizards. He walked with a slouch and a kind smile that hid his high expectations. Although a little younger, Annie's thin curly hair was already graying, and her round glasses took up half of her face.

"I'm headed there now," Amos said, checking his watch. It was half past seven already, which meant almost six hours of sleep. "Gotta be ready for tomorrow. It'll be a long day."

"What about dinner?" Annie asked, sounding disappointed. She had prepared a meal full of comfort foods like ham and potatoes; Cedric and Kinsey had nearly gobbled it down by the time Amos abruptly burst through the door. Food was always like the atmosphere in the Diggory house: comforting and stable.

"Too excited to be hungry!" Annie frowned. "Don't worry. I'll be up again before you know it."

Amos stood and made his way towards the stairs. As he bounded up the stairs, his voice echoed down, "Don't stay up too late!"

Cedric looked like he'd received the best order of his life. "Blimey, the World Cup."

"Two in the morning, though," Kinsey argued.

He shot her a look that definitely said, "You're being ridiculous."

"Maybe I'll understand in the morning," she conceded.

Cedric grinned. "Oh, you will."

* * *

When Cedric and Kinsey got upstairs, they genuinely thought about sleeping. She came in his room to say good night, but ended up tangled in his sheets and limbs. Afterwards, they lay face to face. Cedric's bed was a twin, too small for two 16-year-olds, but they were too excited to see each other to care that they were essentially pressed together.

When they were younger and wanted to cuddle, they had fit a little more comfortably. But in the two years they'd been together, Cedric had shot up to over six foot. His chest widened and his muscles firmed. He'd gone from a scrawny little boy to a big man. Cedric would say Kinsey was exaggerating, but he hadn't seen himself grow. Kinsey had gone from a wiry, lanky girl whose blonde waves took up half her head to a young woman whose hair still took up half her head. Her body, once straight like a ruler, now curved like an hourglass (which Cedric always said he loved). She was often self-conscious about the way her hips carried her weight, but she tried to look past that and see the real beauty in her kindness.

"We should be sleeping," Kinsey said.

"When do we ever do what we're told?" he said coyly, kissing my neck.

"Almost all the time, actually," she laughed. "Mr. Prefect."

"Top of the class."

Kinsey snorted. "Almost, but not quite."

Cedric smirked. He kissed her nose and then her lips.

"I can't believe it's almost been two years," he said.

"I know," Kinsey smiled. "It feels like forever."

"And sometimes just a week."

"All at once," she agreed. When he didn't say anything, she ran her head through his thick, shaggy hair. "It could be worse."

Cedric teased, "I don't honestly see how."

She paused and met his stare. His eyes were hypnotizing, and she briefly forgot they were having a conversation.

"Me neither," Kinsey said finally. Cedric laughed and kissed her.

By 11, they were both feeling sleepy enough to justify actually going to bed. Kinsey turned his door knob slowly and made sure to shut his door softly. She tiptoed down the hall, careful not to creak any floorboards, and snuck back under the covers in her bed in the guest. The sheets were cold, so she curled her body into a ball and drifted away.

* * *

Two seconds later, Cedric shook Kinsey awake.

"Oy, get up," he said, his voice husky with sleep.

"No," she whined. "Five more minutes."

"It's already 2:30, love. Time to get up."

Kinsey groaned loudly. Cedric grabbed the sheets and tore them back so her body was exposed to the cold air. She grudgingly sat up, sleep reluctantly leaving her eyes.

"I hate you so much."

"Come on," he said encouragingly. No matter what time of day it was, he was always unfailingly kind. "Breakfast's ready. Put on clothes and I'll see you downstairs."

Kinsey groaned louder and longer in response, flopping back onto the bed. Cedric ignored her, closing the door behind him.

Fortunately, she was faster at getting ready than she was at waking up. Kinsey put on a pair of skinny jeans and combat boots, along with a tank top and leather jacket. She didn't feel like taming her long, wavy blonde hair, so she pulled it up into a bun at the top of her head. She grabbed some extra clothes for tomorrow, shoved them into a bag, and then stomped downstairs.

Amos and Cedric were sitting at the table, talking in soft voices. Amos had already eaten, but Cedric's plate was still full; the empty chair next to his also had a full plate. Kinsey's anger at the time softened a little when she noticed his kind gesture.

"Ah, good, you're up!" Amos said. "Are you excited for today?"

"As excited as one can be at 2:40 in the morning," she quipped. Cedric laughed, but Amos faltered.

"Ah, well, you'll get there. We've got a long walk ahead of us. I'll bring plenty of water, maybe a snack or two. That should make it manageable."

"You are way too happy for this early in the morning," Cedric said in between bites of his food.

"And you're not excited enough!" Amos declared. "Come on, then, quickly now!"

The three shoveled down the rest of food, took one last bathroom break, and then headed out the door. One of the few things Kinsey sorely missed from the muggle world when she was staying with Cedric was cars—it would have spared them a long, leg-aching walk. The only redeeming factor was being able to watch the sun rise—the navy blues in the sky become pinks and oranges and purples. The anxiety and fatigue that wouldn't budge from her body at two in the morning melted away when it saw the sky. And just like that, being awake wasn't so horrible anymore.

Finally, Amos said, "Alright, here we are! Let's look for the portkey. Keep in mind: it will be small, probably easily hidden."

"Isn't there a spell for finding things?" Cedric asked. He was right, of course: Accio, the summoning spell.

Kinsey was about to agree when Amos said, "It won't respond. That way, unwanted travelers can't find it. Come on, let's get looking."

After hours of walking, literally the last thing Kinsey wanted to do was search the ankle-high grass for an unknown object that may or may not be a portkey. Cedric, always eager to please (especially his father), started looking right away. Kinsey passive-aggressively followed suit by occasionally kicking blades of grass and pacing in a five foot radius. She wondered what the World Cup would be like; what the tent would be like; who their Portkey-mates would be. Now that they weren't actively doing something, her body remembered how tired it was, and her felt my eyelids get heavy. Maybe she could lie down in the field and take a quick nap before they needed to leave…

Amos startled Kinsey by yelling, his voice echoing in the field, "Over here, Arthur! Over here, son! We've got it."

Arthur? When she turned, Kinsey saw a large group of people with identical, flaming red hair approaching. As they got closer, her eyes focused on two faces she had been dying to see all summer.

She screamed, "Weasleys!"

Kinsey ran over to Fred and George Weasley, who looked shell-shocked at her volume. She ran full force into George and held into his torso, burying her face into his chest.

"Hey, you!" George squeezed her back, forcing the air out of her lungs. "Didn't know you'd be here!"

"Me neither!" Kinsey said, pulling away from him. "What a world!"

"This is Amos Diggory, everyone," Mr. Weasley said. "He works for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. And I think you know his son, Cedric?"

"Hi," Cedric said with a forced smile.

"And it looks like you know this young lady," Mr. Weasley said curiously, eyeing his sons.

"I'm Kinsey," she said bashfully, suddenly hyper-aware that everyone was looking at her. She offered my hand to Mr. Weasley, who politely shook it. "Kinsey Taylor. I'm Cedric's girlfriend. I've also been friends with the twins for years."

"Ah, good," he smiled kindly. "Keeping them out of trouble?"

"God, no," she said, and the group laughed. She took advantage of the lull in the conversation to move back towards George and wrap her arm around him. George smiled warmly at her and rubbed her arm affectionately. Kinsey watched Cedric's polite smile fade as he eyed George's hand.

"Long walk, Arthur?" Amos asked.

"Not too bad. We live just on the other side of the village there. You?" Mr. Weasley said.

"Had to get up at two, didn't we, Ced?" Amos said. Cedric jumped slightly at being addressed and nodded awkwardly. "I tell you, I'll be glad when he's got his Apparition test. Still… not complaining… Quidditch World Cup, wouldn't miss it for a sack full of galleons—and the tickets cost about that. Mind you, looks like I got off easy… All these yours, Arthur?"

"Oh no, only the redheads," Mr. Weasley said, gesturing to the group. He pointed at bushy-haired Hermione and said, "This is Hermione, friend of Ron's. And Harry, another friend—"

"Merlin's beard!" Amos said, his eyes widening. "Harry? Harry Potter?"

Cedric's face reddened at his dad's exclamation. Kinsey shot him a sympathetic smile that he missed, as he was suddenly examining the ground with intense interest.

"Er, yeah," Harry stuttered. His hair was thick and long much like the twins', but it couldn't hide his blush.

"Ced's talked about you, of course," Amos began. He boasted, "Told us all about playing you last year… I said to him, I said—Ced, that'll be something you'll tell your grandchildren, that will… You beat Harry Potter."

Kinsey couldn't help but slap my palm against her face. She felt George's grip on her arm tighten, and when she looked up at him, his face was screwed up in annoyance. Cedric looked like he wanted to melt into a puddle.

"Harry fell off his broom, Dad," Cedric muttered, just loud enough for to hear. "I told you… it was an accident."

"Yes, but you didn't fall off, did you?" Amos laughed, slapping Cedric on the back, who nearly fell over at the impact. "Always modest, our Ced, always the gentleman. But the best man won, I'm sure Harry would say the same, wouldn't you, eh? One falls off his broom, one stays on; you don't need a genius to tell you which one's the better flier."

Kinsey could hear Cedric screaming in his head. His desperate eyes met her stare, and she mouthed, "He's an asshole." Cedric smirked, but only slightly.

"Must be nearly time," Mr. Weasley said, checking his watch. "Do you know whether we're waiting for any more, Amos?"

"No, the Lovegoods have been there for a week already, and the Fawcetts couldn't get tickets. There aren't any more of us in the area, are there?" Amos wondered.

"Not that I know of. Yes, it's a minute off. We'd better get ready." Mr. Weasley turned to Ron, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny, and instructed, "You just need to touch the Portkey, that's all; a finger will do."

Quietly, the group moved forward and assembled around the Portkey: a dusty old boot. With some struggle, they all bent over and pressed a finger against the object. Kinsey ended up between Cedric and George, shoulders pressed against each other.

"Three… two… one…" Mr. Weasley counted down.

Suddenly, the group was flying. Kinsey felt a force push her navel forward, knocking her into the others. She closed her eyes, still feeling the boot beneath her finger, and hoped for solid ground.

And just like that, she felt the ground against her back. Kinsey moaned in pain, and when she opened her eyes, she saw the twins on either side of her. Cedric, Amos, and Mr. Weasley were the only ones who survived the journey upright.

"Seven past five from Stoatshead Hill," said a voice.

The others scrambled to their feet. Kinsey willed her body to sit up, but she was suddenly aware how comfortable it was to lie down and started thinking about a nap. George turned to help her up, but Cedric beat him to it.

"Are you okay?" he asked, standing over her. He offered both of his hands and pulled her up. She felt shaky on two feet and leaned into her boyfriend for support.

"Let's not do that again," Kinsey said, only half-joking.

He smirked and brushed her bangs from her face. "How do you think we're getting home?" When her face faltered, he admitted, "It takes some getting used to. First few times I fell on my ass too. I can help you walk?"

"Okay," she said, grateful to have his help.

"Diggory," the old wizard in front of the campground said. "Second field… ask for Mr. Payne."

Amos looked expectantly back at Cedric and Kinsey. They both nodded and moved forward through a large, empty field. The early morning fog was just beginning to lift, giving the area an eerie glow.

"So George," Kinsey said, looking back at him. George seemed surprised at being addressed. "How was your summer?"

"Oh, you know," he said casually, "The usual nonsense. How about you?"

"Relaxing. My mom and I spent a lot of time at the beach. I just got back into England about a week ago."

"Have you heard from Z and Annalynn?" Fred asked.

"Loads of times," she said, thinking of her friends. Z, whose real name was Zarah, was a transfer witch from Egypt in Hufflepuff; Annalynn was from the Philippines and in Ravenclaw. The girls met during mandatory exchange student bonding sessions in their first year and grew closer through the years. "They're eager to see you goons."

Fred scoffed. "Goons? More like geniuses."

"Don't flatter yourselves."

The twins smiled. George said, "We'll talk more later, alright?"

"Alright," Kinsey said. They had just reached the first cottage where the Weasleys were due to check in; Mr. Weasley was awaiting a response from inside.

"See you," she said, waving.

"See you," they replied.

They continued on in silence, Amos leading the way. The farther they walked, the more tired her body felt; the hard landing on the ground definitely didn't help. Kinsey leaned into Cedric, who tightened his grip on her waist.

The second field was filled with hundreds of tents—some were occupied already with late-night fires still smoking out front, and others seemed empty with no personalization. Amos went into the cottage to make the proper arrangements, and when he came out, he was grinning broadly.

"Look for Diggory," he said.

The three drifted through the sea of tents, each looking for the proper sign. After a few moments, Cedric spotted theirs near the line of trees. Amos said his proper spell to unlock the tent and they entered. On the inside, they had a spacious living area, a kitchen, and a bedroom of both sides of the tent.

"You two are on the left," Amos said. He then narrowed his eyes, "I'm trusting you two, alright?"

"Trusting you two" was code for, "You have your own room; please don't have sex in it."

"Alright," Kinsey and Cedric said in unison.

They walked into their room, which was complete with two twin-sized beds that had bright white sheets and a fluffy pillow. The top of the room had a small dresser with a mirror.

"Looks comfortable," he said, dropping his bag next to the bed on the left-hand side of the room.

Kinsey made a noise of agreement and sat on the free bed. To her surprise, her body melted into the mattress; she usually had a very hard time falling asleep in new places.

"I think I'm gonna take a nap," she announced, speaking mostly to the ceiling.

"Good idea," Amos said from the doorway, causing her to sit back up. "Sleep in as late as you can! Whoever gets up first can find lunch."

"Have a good nap, Dad," Cedric called after Amos.

Kinsey pulled off her jacket and boots and wriggled out of her jeans while Cedric magically darkened the room. She crawled into her bed, the cool sheets causing her to shiver. She watched as Cedric rifled through his bag for something, and then finally unearthed his Hufflepuff quilt.

"Oh, that was a good idea," she said mournfully.

Cedric immediately offered, "Do you want it?"

"No, that's alright," she said, lying down.

Cedric paused, and then walked over to her bed and draped the quilt on top of her.

"I said I didn't want it," she insisted. But she had to admit: she felt warmer and more comfortable already.

"I want you to have it," he said. He dove through his bag again and unearthed a sweater, pulling it over his head. "Ah, that's better. Well, good night!"

"Good morning," Kinsey corrected.

Cedric crawled into his bed and muttered, "Smart ass."

She laughed and then closed her eyes, welcoming sleep.

* * *

When she woke up, Kinsey briefly forgot where she was.

There was something pleasant about the momentary panic that ensues when you first wake up. Your mind is a temporarily a blank slate, and any and all problems you might have are replaced with a blissful fog. When she turned her head, she saw Cedric's bed was already empty. And then it all came back to me: two in the morning, long walk, Weasleys, nap… At the very least, she was glad she didn't have to find lunch.

Amos had disappeared by the time Kinsey emerged from the bedroom, and Cedric was reading a copy of the _Daily Prophet_. One of the nice things about being in a long-term relationship was comfortable silence—they didn't feel the need to fill the air with unnecessary words. She ate a quick meal, and then they decided to go for a walk around the campgrounds.

The tents and grounds were buzzing with people talking, laughing, and selling muggle and Quidditch souvenirs. They saw a few familiar faces from school—Roger Davies, who was already halfway to drunk, Ernie McMillan, who looked thrilled that Cedric acknowledged his presence, and Cho Chang, who waved bashfully when Kinsey shouted hello across the way.

After resisting all of the things that were being shoved at them from all directions, Cedric caved and bought some obnoxiously big Irish pride hats and a pair of omnioculars for himself. By the time they waded back to their tent, Amos was ready to push them back out the door.

The walk to the stadium was claustrophobic and filled with excited noise. Amos triple checked the tickets for our seats, and by the time they got the top of the stadium, Kinsey was ready for another nap.

"I'll bet you Ireland wins," Cedric said, "but Krum catches the snitch."

"A bet?" she feigned surprise. "What's gotten into you?"

"Just a little fun," he nudged her. "No harm. I wouldn't be stupid enough to bet actual money."

She rolled her eyes. Cedric weaved their fingers together, and she settled in for a long night.

* * *

The cup itself was mostly boring. While Kinsey loved going to school Quidditch matches, pro Quidditch was long and dull. The veela at the beginning were exciting (Cedric was leaning so forward in his seat that she thought he would topple onto the people below them), and there were some neat plays (Cedric nearly cried with happiness when he saw Krum use the Wronski Defense Feint). Finally, at the end, Cedric's prediction came true: Ireland won, but to stop the game from going into the night, Krum caught the snitch.

Although she had been sitting for a few hours, Kinsey's body had gotten a second wind and was ready to move. When they reached the base of the stadium, they literally ran into the twins.

"Oy!" George yelled. When he found his blonde-haired friend pressed against his chest, he softened, "Hey you! Great game, huh? Those Irish…"

"I guess," she said, teasing them with her apathy.

They gasped, offended. "Were we at the same game?" Fred asked.

"I don't know," Kinsey said. "But Cedric predicted the outcome of the game."

"Us too," the twins choired. Fred pulled out a sack full of galleons from beneath his coat. "Ten thousand courtesy of Ludo Bagman."

Cedric looked like he was going to cry. "Damn, maybe I should have made a bet."

"Fred, George, come on!" Mr. Weasley hollered. He was only a few people away, but the growing crowd meant louder voices.

"Do you wanna come back with us? Catch up?" George asked, nodding towards his father.

"Yeah!" she said excitedly.

Cedric looked behind him, and then said, "Dad's gone off somewhere. Yeah, let's go!"

Mr. Weasley led the way across the campsite; Cedric and Kinsey followed close behind the bobbing row of redheads, careful not to get accidentally swept away by any celebrating witches or wizards. By the time they reached the Weasley tent, everyone was chatting loudly about their favorite parts of the cup. Although it was clear Mr. Weasley wanted everyone into bed straight away—especially poor little Ginny, who looked like she was half-asleep, but wanted to stay up like everyone else—he agreed to let Fred and George stay up for another hour or two. Cedric, Fred, and George got into a heated debate about the high and low points of the players' moves until Kinsey groaned so loudly they all gave me the same "what is wrong with you?" look.

"I cannot believe you won that much gold," Cedric said for the millionth time.

"Just think: if you were a little reckless, you could have done it too!" Fred winked.

"Don't encourage him," Kinsey scolded, and the boys laughed. She asked, "So, really, how was your summer?"

"Oh, alright," George said, "We've been surprisingly productive."

"Were you motivated by your stellar O.W.L. results?"

The twins barked in laughter. "Yeah, right," Fred snorted. "We got three."

"Each," George added.

Her jaw dropped. "What are you even going to do with that?"

"Taking the only classes that matter: Charms, D.A.D.A., and Transfiguration," Fred said. "They'll help us the most."

"In doing what?" she asked, although she was afraid of the answer.

"We're gonna open a joke shop," George said, his lips spread in a massive smile. "Make all kinds of products. Fake wands…"

"Nosebleed nougarts…"

"Daydream charms…"

"Anything and everything for people to cause chaos," Fred concluded. "Now that we have the money for it, it's all coming together!"

"I guess you wouldn't need school for that, then," Cedric said.

"If we could leave now, we would," George said certainly. When Kinsey shot him a patronizing look, he back peddled, "But we know it's important. And it will help make the products better."

"Definitely," Fred agreed. "So, really, how was your summer?"

"Just as I said: relaxing. I went to the beach, did some homework—"

George cut her off, "Ew."

"And now I'm here," Kinsey finished, not missing a beat. "I'm actually looking forward to getting back to school. I'm ready to get back into the swing of things. Plus I miss hanging out with you lot."

"I'm afraid to ask, but… how many classes are you taking?" George asked.

"I got eleven O.W.L.s., but I'll only be taking the basic classes, plus a once a week class on Healing."

"Eleven?" Fred and George said, shocked.

"How is that possible?" Fred asked. "How did you function?"

"I managed," Kinsey said coolly, although the memories of all-nights spent studying and panic attacks before tests made her feel queasy.

"How about you?" George asked Cedric.

Cedric looked pleasantly surprised at being directly addressed. "Oh, uh, I got seven."

"You're not quite up to her standard," Fred teased.

"Yeah, well, she's perfect. Everyone else is just peasants," he said. The twins chuckled. "What did you tell McGonagall you wanted to do during those career advice sessions? With three O.W.L.s I'm sure the sky's the limit."

"At that point there was still hope," Fred conceded. "But we said entrepreneurs."

"And McGonagall bought that?" she asked, skeptical.

"I think she was surprised to hear we actually had ambition," George said. "She told us to focus on basic classes and when we had a better idea of what we wanted to do, let her know."

"Have you?" Cedric asked.

"I think the less she has to speak to us, the better," Fred said. "How about you? What did you tell Professor Sprout?"

"Nothing, honestly," Cedric admitted. Kinsey was surprised that he was being so honest with the twins; not even his father knew the truth. "I have no idea what I want to do after school."

"None?" George seemed shocked. "Not the Ministry?"

"Quidditch player?" Fred suggested.

"Ditch digger?"

Cedric laughed. "I really don't know. I'd love to play Quidditch professionally but I doubt I'm good enough. Thinking of working at the Ministry makes me want to bash my head against a wall. I eventually settled on Auror, just to satisfy Professor Sprout, but I'm not sure I could handle the responsibility."

"You're a prefect," George said pointedly.

My boyfriend shrugged. "Doesn't mean much. Make sure the little ones don't get lost and no one tries to blow up the school."

"It's not as much as you think," she added, and the twins nodded.

"You could always work for us," Fred said, but George looked disturbed by the idea.

"Yeah, maybe," Cedric said. "I'll probably take a year off after school… ride on Kinsey's coattails for a bit and then make a decision. For now, no pressure."

"We need something to lighten the mood," George agreed. He looked around him, and then said in a hushed voice, "I wish we had some beer."

Cedric smirked. "That would be the perfect end to a great night."

It was late at this point. Fred and George's face paint, once vibrant with Irish pride, was cracked and chipped. Cedric and Kinsey had long taken off their floppy hats and replaced them with a feeling of lethargy. The others had long since gone to bed, the cheers and drunken raucous of the crowds outside lulling them to sleep. They had gotten so used to hearing it, that it was strange when the laughter turned to fearful screaming.

"Sounds like they've had too much," Cedric joked.

"We'd be glad to take that off their hands," Fred agreed.

Cedric stood and offered, "I'll go look what's going on."

As he walked over to the front flap, Kinsey turned to the twins and whispered, "Thank you."

"For what?" George asked, his voice just as soft.

"Being so nice to him," she said. "I know you don't like him that much."

"It's not that," Fred said. "It's complicated. You're best asking Georgie about it."

She raised her eyebrow and turned to George, whose face was as red as his hair. "Not now," he hissed.

Before she could ask, Cedric said, his voice tense, "Fred, George… you should see this."

The twins exchanged perplexed looks before they stood and joined Cedric at the front. Almost immediately, Fred yelled, "Dad! Oi! Father!"

When Mr. Weasley didn't stir, George ran into his room. She heard rushed, frantic muttering, and then Mr. Weasley said loudly, "Merlin's beard!"

Mr. Weasley emerged, still dressed in his clothes from earlier, and instructed, his voice shaky but firm, "Kinsey, can you wake the girls? Boys, get Ron and Harry. Now!"

She had no idea what was happening, but seeing the fear on everyone's faces made her nervous. Kinsey stepped quickly into the girls' tent. She saw flashes of light behind her, but willed herself not to look. Inside, Hermione and Ginny were fast asleep. She decided to wake Hermione by shaking her gently.

"Hermione?" she said. "Come on, get up, we've got to go."

"What?" she muttered, slowly stirring.

On the other side of the room, Ginny rolled over and asked, "What's going on?"

"I don't know, but your father wants you two up and dressed. Quickly, come on," she urged.

Kinsey waited as the girls sprung from their beds, still yawning and rubbing their eyes, and followed her outside. There, she found Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred, George, Ron, Harry, Cedric, and Arthur gaping at the scenery. That was when she finally allowed herself to look: multiple tents were in blazes, some spinning in the air (along with screaming people), set against a gross green and orange sky.

"What's going on?" she asked Cedric in horror.

"I'm not sure. I think those are…" he trailed off, the color draining from his face.

Arthur said suddenly with stony determination, "We're going to help the Ministry!" He gestured to everyone but Bill, Charlie, and Percy. "You lot—get into the woods and stick together! I'll come and fetch you when we've sorted this out."

They didn't need telling twice. Bill, Charlie, Percy, and Arthur sprinted away from the oncoming marchers, brandishing wands in terror.

Fred grabbed Ginny's shaking hand. "C'mon."

Fred led the way towards the line of trees a few hundred feet away—George, Cedric, and Kinsey close behind, with Harry, Ron, and Hermione holding up the end. Every few moments, George would turn around to check on them—and then just like that, they were gone.

"They'll be alright," Fred said loudly, stopping at the treeline, but she barely heard him above the screaming.

The night sky was dark and speckled with bright greens, reds, and blues—leftover from the spells that were being cast left and right. People were running in every direction, eyes wide with terror. Plastered against the horizon were bodies spinning freely in the air. The calm and fun from right after the Cup seemed so far away; this new scene felt so much like a movie, she forgot it was real.

"Come on," Cedric said. He placed his hand on her lower back, pushing her forward.

Cedric and Kinsey stuck close behind Fred, George, and Ginny—so close they sometimes ran into them. People were darting away from the riot and ran directly into them, almost knocking them over. Kinsey's heart was paralyzed with fear; she kept forgetting to breathe. She just wanted to be safe and quiet and back to normal.

As they were pushing through puddles of people, a man grabbed Kinsey's wrist, his face covered by a hood and silver mask. He bared his yellowed teeth in a haunting smile and pulled on her arm, dragging her away from her friends.

"Cedric!" she yelled, her voice high and thin.

"Stupefy!" he yelled instinctively, and the man fell over.

Kinsey stumbled back over towards Cedric, careful not to run into anyone else. Cedric wrapped his arm tightly around her waist, and together they ran.

The twins and Ginny were waiting for them in the trees; they shared the same look of shock. Cedric and Kinsey were panting, out of breath.

Once they were reunited, Fred led the way deeper into the woods until the sounds of the riot were no more. They could no longer see the sky through the thick branches, either. The darkness and quiet were both comforting and unnerving.

But that may have been because Kinsey felt like she couldn't breathe. She could still feel the man's grip on her wrist, and the sensation made her so nervous she felt like she was going to vomit. She took deep breaths of air, trying so hard to calm herself, but every breath felt like toxic air and she was sure was going to die and…

"You're okay," Cedric placed his hands on her shoulders. His grip forced her to look into his eyes, lulling her into a sense of security. "You're safe. Deep breath. You're alright."

The mantra eventually calmed her. She caught her breath and wiped the few tears that escaped her clutches from her eyes. When she turned, she saw Fred, George, and Ginny silently watching her, their faces pursed with anxiety.

"Sorry," Kinsey muttered. "I didn't mean—"

The boys grunted in response, but Ginny said, "Don't. You're fine."

* * *

Even though they were deep enough in the woods that they could no longer watch the rioting, some screams echoed. The five friends were immediately enveloped into silence as they waited nervously for the noise to stop. Kinsey stood close to Cedric, whose muscles were taut and tense. Time seemed to last forever, but she wouldn't let herself drift off into space and risk putting herself or the others in danger.

After an eternity, Cedric broke the silence by rubbing her arm and saying, "You're cold."

Kinsey hadn't even noticed the goosebumps on her arm. "Oh, yeah."

Cedric held her closer; his body was warm, but the cool August air was all-encompassing.

George suggested, "You can have my sweater." But before she answered, he pulled it over his head and offered it to her.

"No, I couldn't," she held up her hand in protest.

But George insisted, "Please."

Reluctantly, Kinsey grabbed the sweater, its warm fibers immediately heating her hand. Cedric let go of her long enough for her to yank it over her head; right away, her body felt warmer. And, oddly enough, George's scent soothed her. Kinsey couldn't help but press the sleeves of his sweater against her face; it reminded me of long nights with George in Gryffindor tower, joking and bitching about life.

Cedric surprised Kinsey by saying, "Thank you." George nodded in response.

Time continued to drag. Eventually, the sounds from the campsite disappeared. Once they were certain they couldn't hear any more noise, they slowly moved forward, wands brandished in defense.

* * *

 **Hello, hello! This is my third incarnation of a _Harry Potter_ fic (third time's the charm!)-I've gotta say, I'm really pleased with it so far, and I hope you'll enjoy it too!**

 **This story will revolve mostly around my OC, Kinsey, and Cedric Diggory as they navigate their sixth year and the Triwizard Tournament. There is also a subplot with Kinsey and George... but telling you what and why will be spoiling the story. :)**

 **Please let me know what you think by leaving a review! I look forward to hearing from you all!**

 **xoxo Michelle**


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